Geoege william sheaeee



13, 1931- O J. s. WILSON ET AL 1,319,051

STEAMING OR AGING MACHINE FOR DYEING, PRINTING, AND LIKE OPERATIONS Filed Sept. 6, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l 6. [My/wearer 2% J. 720m 15 Aug. 18, 1931- J. 5. WILSON ET AL 1,819,051

STEAMING 0R AGING MACHINE FQR DYEING, PRINTING, AND LIKE OPERATIONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Filed Se t. 1927 Aug. 18, 1931 J. 5. WILSON ET AL STEAMING OR AGING MACHINE FOR DYEING, PRINTING, AND LIKE OPERATIONS Filed Sept. 6, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m 0 e dV W4; M nc 8% W 0 W 3/ Patented Aug. 18, 1931.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES STEVENSON WILSON, GEORGE WILLIAM SHEAR/ER, AND JOHN THOMAS, OF

GRANGEMOUTH, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNORS TO SCOTTISH DYES, LIMITED, GRANGE- MOUTH, SCOTLAND STEAMING OR AGING MACHINE FOR DYEING, PRINTING, AND LIKE OPERATIONS Application filed September 6, 1927, Serial No. 217,788, and In Great Britain September 9, 1826.

dyeing and printing operations.

It has for its object the provision of a method and means aiming at the carrying out of these operations on a commercial scale with a degree of uniformity which we have not known to be hitherto attainable.

Where a steaming or aging operation is required in, for example, (a) the fixation of colours or mordants in direct printing, or (b) the discharging of colours or mordants we have found that great variations in temperature occur in the chamber of commonly used forms of the machine known as the ager, in which these operations are carried out.

In most cases an exothermic reaction takes place during aging between the various chemicals used, so that although when aging is started the temperature may be correct, a

gradual rise takes place during aging; this is particularly the case with vat colours.

With most colours the high temperature obtained causes effects resulting in dullness and loss of colour value, and incomplete removal in the discharging of colours and mordants.

In agers as commonly used steam is introduced into the steaming or aging chamber by means of perforated pipes along the length of the chamber, and the exhaustion is effected at the opposite ends of the chamber, that is to say at the cloth or warp entrance and delivery slit or gap and at the back end through suitable exhaustion apertures. Arrangements have also been proposed for sucking the steam from between the folds of the fabric travelling through the chamber.

Various improvements in aging machines have been proposed from time to time but a commercial-scale machine giving results equal to the best laboratory agers has not hitherto been available.

Our invention in brief consists in a method and means for circulating and cooling the steam inside the ager, which embodies 2. lateral circulation of steam through the ager,

preferably with regulable cooling or heating of the said steam either within or outside the aging chamber itself so that by suitable co-ordination of the steam supply and cooling arrangement exact control of the temperature of the interior of the ager can be easily maintained.

Referring to the accompanying draw- 1ngs:

Figure 1 represents a plan view of one form of apparatus according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevationv on the l ne 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. c

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the'line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the lefthand end of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Eigure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In carrying the invention into effect according to the form illustrated, the bottom of the machine consists of a water bath a best seen in Figure 5. The water is admitted by the pipe I) and the level is controlled by means of an overflow pipe 0. The temperature of the water is maintained by means of live steam admitted through a perforated pipe 0?. Steam pipes e are also provided above the water bath a for the introduction of saturated steam. Between those pipes e and the main chamber 7 of the machine there is situated a strainer plate or gauze g to prevent the passage of water particles.

On each side of the main chamber 7 there is disposed a trunk these being marked respectively h and 2'. These trunks extend along the length and depth of the machine.

The trunk h is connected with the main chamber f by means of a large open aperture j. The trunk '5 is connected with the main chamber 7 by means of a perforated plate shown more particularly in Figure 2.

The trunk it leads to the eye of a centrifugal fan indicated by the reference letter Z driven by the electric motor m. g

The discharge orifice of the fan leads to a cooler indicated by a lon pipe 'n the passage containing an adjustzible outlet 0.

The remote end of the cooler 'n is connected to the trunk 2'.

This completes the general construction of the apparatus as far as the carcass is concerned.

lVithin the main chamber 7 there is provided apparatus for exposing the fabric to the aging or steaming operation.

This comprises two upper bars 10 and two lower bars 9, each having mountings for rollers 7' about which the fabric 8 is wound. The fabric passes into the machine and out of the machine through openings 6 suitably trapped by substantially contacting pairs of rubber lips u and a respectively.

Two sets of these rubber lips are used one at each end of an entry chamber 'wthe pressure in which is maintained below atmospheric by means of an ejector or vacuum pump applied to pipe m for the purpose of preventing entrainment of air.

In operation the fabric is fed either continuously or as a batch into the main chamber f of the apparatus WlIBIGlt is subjected to the action of steam at the desired temperature.

The suction fan Z draws off the steam from the fabric and circulates it through the cooler a returning ,it through the distributing trunk 2'.

The speed of the suction fan Z, the adjustable orifice 0 and the steam admission may be controlled so that having regard to any possible generation of heat there may be through the reaction the temperature in the chamber f is maintained substantially constant and at the desired value whilst the vapour is distributed over the whole area "of the fabric to be treated.

Further, the adjustable outlet 0 provides means whereby generation of excess of pressure in the casing is prevented.

Apparatus as described may be used in the construction of machines to deal with fabrics of any desired size, for example cloth of 50 inches in width.

The above form is given by way of illustration only and modifications may be'made especially having regard to the particular maximum width of fabric it is desired to treat.

In order to obtain uniform distribution of steam in the chamber, the arrangement and dimensions of the holes in the perforated plate should be suitably chosen according to the size and shape of the trunks admitting the steam.

Applying this as an example in the form of apparatus illustrated in the drawings, the perforations of the distributing plate 7: may be made to increase in size logarithmically with the distance from the centre of the plate Auxiliary rollers and driving gear may be employed outside the machine for assisting the passage of the-cloth or reliance may be entirely placedon internal rollers and driving gear.

If desired, the steam may enter the machine otherwise than at the bottom, for example at the top.

Having now described our invention, What we claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1. A process for steaming and aging fabrics in dyeing and the like processes according to which steam is passed through an aging machine at a substantially uniform temperature and laterally in the direction of the breadth of the fabric being treated.

2. A steaming and aging machine including in combination a, main chamber and for supporting fabric in said chamber, trunks extending substantiallyalong the whole of each of two sides of said chamber and a perforated plate situated between one of said trunks and the adjacent side of the chamber.

5. A steaming machine including a steaming chamber long in comparison with its width, 5, series of rollers mounted in said chamber and towards the top thereof, a series of rollers mounted in said. chamber and towards the bottom thereof, means for admitting steam disposed in the bottom of said chamber, trunk of substantially the same size as one side of said chamber, gradually reducing to a comparatively small size, a trunk of substantially the same size as the opposite side of'said chamber and gradually reducing to a small size, a steam passage connecting said two trunks at their smaller ends, and a steam cooler in said connection.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, including in addition an entry box attached to the aforesaid main chamber and means for maintaining the absolute pressure in said entry box below atmospheric pressure.

- 7. A machine as claimed in claim 5, in

cluding a perforated plate disposed between the larger end of one of the trunks and the adjacent face of the main chamber, the perforations in said plate increasing in size logarithmically with the distance from the centre of the plate.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

JAMES STEVENSON WILSON. GEORGE WILLIAM SHEARER. JOHN THOMAS. 

